Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen and Baerum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bergen: $3,093 a month against $3,200 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Baerum outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bergen, Norway
Baerum, Norway
Bergen
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,093
/mo nomad
Baerum
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,200
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen and in Baerum

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen and in Baerum actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,093 per month in Bergen vs $3,200 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Bergen $3,093
  • Baerum $3,200

A couple spends around $4,619 per month in Bergen vs $4,976 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Bergen $4,619
  • Baerum $4,976

A family of three spends $6,145 per month in Bergen vs $6,752 in Baerum, rent included.

  • Bergen $6,145
  • Baerum $6,752

Bergen is about 3% cheaper than Baerum.

Both Bergen and Baerum sit above the global median – Bergen by 127%, Baerum by 135%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.85 NOK 222
$21.48 NOK 200
11.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$141 NOK 1,313
$131 NOK 1,217
7.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.30 NOK 151
$16.27 NOK 151
0.18%
Cappuccino
$5.62 NOK 52.2
$6.07 NOK 56.4
-7.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.19 NOK 48.23
$4.30 NOK 39.97
20.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 NOK 42.47
$3.35 NOK 31.11
36.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$12.92 NOK 120
$11.64 NOK 108
11.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.71 NOK 99.5
$13.09 NOK 122
-18.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 NOK 21.79
$2.49 NOK 23.09
-5.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.83 NOK 35.60
$3.67 NOK 34.12
4.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.45 NOK 32.02
$4.92 NOK 45.73
-29.88%
Eggs
$6.67 NOK 62.0
$5.89 NOK 54.7
13.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.89 NOK 138
$10.74 NOK 99.8
38.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.88 NOK 166
$15.80 NOK 147
13.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$37.65 NOK 350
$32.14 NOK 299
17.14%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 NOK 38.11
$2.70 NOK 25.05
51.85%
Banana (1kg)
$2.80 NOK 26.03
$2.09 NOK 19.45
33.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.70 NOK 34.38
$2.10 NOK 19.49
76.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.54 NOK 51.5
$4.39 NOK 40.74
26.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 NOK 22.90
$1.74 NOK 16.20
41.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.41 NOK 31.67
$2.87 NOK 26.64
18.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.08 NOK 28.60
$3.29 NOK 30.53
-6.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 NOK 17.02
$2.53 NOK 23.50
-27.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.65 NOK 164
$19.05 NOK 177
-7.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.73 NOK 183
$17.01 NOK 158
15.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.83 NOK 35.56
$3.64 NOK 33.80
5.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.44 NOK 41.24
$4.46 NOK 41.48
-0.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.32 NOK 49.47
$4.40 NOK 40.89
20.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.0 NOK 827
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.82 NOK 119
$12.34 NOK 115
3.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 NOK 18.14
$1.83 NOK 16.96
6.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$74.9 NOK 696
$70.7 NOK 657
5.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.41 NOK 22.36
$2.35 NOK 21.83
2.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$50.1K NOK 465.1K
$29.2K NOK 271.3K
71.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.8K NOK 415.9K
$26.1K NOK 242.3K
71.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$292 NOK 2,709
$340 NOK 3,154
-14.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.90 NOK 315
$34.21 NOK 318
-0.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$85.1 NOK 790
$55.3 NOK 514
53.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.43 NOK 450
$54.7 NOK 508
-11.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$44.06 NOK 409
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.28 NOK 179
$15.85 NOK 147
21.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$251 NOK 2,331
$245 NOK 2,278
2.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.0K NOK 111.2K
$16.0K NOK 148.2K
-24.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 NOK 1,000
$103 NOK 956
4.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 NOK 521
$62.4 NOK 580
-10.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 NOK 1,116
$135 NOK 1,255
-11.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 NOK 1,541
$160 NOK 1,483
3.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 NOK 15.1K
$1,747 NOK 16.2K
-6.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 NOK 11.9K
$1,546 NOK 14.4K
-16.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,668 NOK 24.8K
$3,538 NOK 32.9K
-24.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 NOK 17.9K
$2,995 NOK 27.8K
-35.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,228 NOK 76.4K
$11.3K NOK 105.4K
-27.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,382 NOK 50.0K
$10.1K NOK 94.1K
-46.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bergen
Baerum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,732 NOK 44.0K
$5,569 NOK 51.7K
-15.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
4.6
14.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bergen: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baerum: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bergen
$1.3K
Baerum
$1.5K 20.4% $262
Groceries & Markets
Bergen
$545
Baerum
$484 11.1% $61
Eating Out
Bergen
$432
Baerum
$408 5.5% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bergen
$411
Baerum
$429 4.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Bergen
$202
Baerum
$207 2.3% $4.7
Getting Around
Bergen
$133
Baerum
$39 * 70.6% $94
Sport & Entertainment
Bergen
$87
Baerum
$86 0.7% $0.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,627 in Bergen versus $1,747 in Baerum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Baerum. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $141 in Bergen versus $131 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $484 – making Baerum the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Bergen
🇳🇴 Baerum
🕒 Local time
02:01 2:01 AM
02:01 2:01 AM
Same time as Bergen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
292,482
131,136
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bergen Baerum 290 km
From you
  • Bergen
  • Baerum

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bergen vs Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is cheaper: Bergen or Baerum?
Baerum costs about 3% more than Bergen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,640 per month in Bergen and $4,800 in Baerum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Bergen and Baerum?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,627 in Bergen and $1,747 in Baerum. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Bergen and in Baerum?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,093 in Bergen and $3,200 in Baerum. That makes Bergen about 3% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $251 per month in Bergen and $245 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Bergen or in Baerum?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,093 in Bergen and $3,200 in Baerum. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Bergen or in Baerum?
It depends on your priorities. Bergen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,093 in Bergen to $3,200 in Baerum. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Bergen or Baerum?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bergen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Baerum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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